Stay
by RealmOfPossibility
Summary: Two-Shot Post Season 4: Womb Raider Piper and Phoebe step up in their role as sisters to show Paige where she really belongs.
1. Chapter 1

A/N Taking time off from another fic and thought I'd try Charmed. A slightly different take on the events after Season 4: Womb Raider, I wanted to write about some sisterly moments that we didn't get to see.

**Stay - Part 1**

Phoebe stared at the glowing red numbers on the clock. It was late. Or early, depending on how you looked at it. She found herself lying awake at odd hours all the time these days. Ever since the love of her life and her child had been taken away. Had it been days or years? Or maybe such loss couldn't be measured in such simplistic units as time. It could only be measured by the gaping hole in her insides.

_How much loss could a person take?_ she wondered, turning to lie on her back. Her mother, her sister, her husband. The dead became a rock in her heart, weighing her down until she was numb from pain. But, she bounced back. She always found a way to bounce back. And Phoebe knew deep down, somehow, someday, she could find that way again.

She'd found the way after Prue died. She'd become something she'd never imagined.

A big sister.

She'd always been the screwup. The happy, carefree sister who swanned in and out of people's lives like a summer breeze. She hadn't needed to worry or be concerned about anything because someone would always have her back. Grams, for sure. Piper, in a heartbeat. And Prue, who would bitch and moan about her lack of responsibility, would come round eventually.

She was used to being the youngest.

But, then Paige had appeared. And it was all turned upside down. Because Grams was gone and so was Prue and so their somewhat rocky little family had suddenly shrunk beyond what they thought could be repaired.

But, then _Paige_ had come along. And suddenly Phoebe wasn't the youngest and could no longer afford to be the screwup. She had responsibilities now. She had someone to take care of. _She_ had to have someone's back.

And she'd thought she was doing a good job. Guiding Paige in her role as a witch, admonishing her when she didn't quite get things right. And then flat out shooting her down when she'd started in on Cole. And then had come that awful day when it was all too clear that what Paige had seen, what Paige had tried to tell them was true and what had Phoebe done?

She'd abandoned her sisters.

_Abandoned_ them.

This was screwing up on a whole other level.

She'd chosen love, which sounded romantic, but what had been the cost? She'd shattered her sisters and ended up losing love anyway.

All because of evil.

The evil Paige had tried to save her from.

And, even after everything, Paige had been so supportive, in that shy, uncertain way she had. As if she was just waiting for someone to tell her to get lost.

And never once had she said those words she had every right to throw in Phoebe's face. And Piper's. And Leo's.

_I told you so._

* * *

Man, it was getting hard.

Piper stared into the darkness, her mind too full for sleep.

She was angry.

She was angry at Cole. So angry. After all this time, after defending him, helping him, accepting him, he'd finally succumbed to the evil inside. Of course, it was hardly all his fault. Who could resist the Source of all Evil taking over your mind and body? And now he was dead, both Cole and The Source.

She was, to her shame, angry at Phoebe too. At what she'd done to them, to their family. She'd chosen evil over her own sisters. And Piper knew, rationally, that some part of Phoebe's mind had been poisoned when she'd made that decision. Still, even after Phoebe's heartfelt, tearful apologies, Piper knew it would take a little longer to fully forgive and forget.

Piper clenched her jaw at the thought of the person she was most angry at. The person she'd been wrestling with for months, almost a year. The person who, right now, she wanted to shake and yell at. Maybe even curse a little.

Herself.

She'd failed. Oh, how she'd failed. She hadn't been able to protect Phoebe. But, more than that, she was finding it harder and harder to shut out that feeling. That overpowering feeling of wanting to try, just one more time, to let love in. Love, which was always just an invitation for more pain. The love that an older sister had for her younger sisters.

Sister_s_.

Plural.

The kind of love she felt when she saw that hopeful smile come over Paige's face. The love she felt when she saw Paige staring off into space, wanting desperately to ask, to _know_ what Paige was thinking, but biting her tongue and shutting herself down before she could. The love that came with a little guilt at the hurt on Paige's face every time she was reprimanded for something that they had all convinced themselves couldn't be real. But, had turned out to be.

Paige, in a few short months, had turned out to be a far better sister than Piper had managed to be. Paige, who had lost so much herself, yet had kept her heart open. A heart that was clearly so big.

Would it be big enough to weather this storm?

* * *

Sitting in the kitchen in the small hours, Paige Matthews considered the role she had found herself playing all her life.

She had been the bad guy for more years than she cared to remember.

She thought back to her teenage years when she'd lost count of the disappointed looks, stern lectures and silent treatment she'd received from her parents because of her wild, partying ways. That had been tempered, momentarily, by their death when she'd reached for the light instead of the darkness and applied for college. But, soon enough, she'd reverted back to her old ways. Sure, she'd passed all her subjects and got her degree, but she'd left behind a string of love 'em and leave 'em one night stands and unreturned phone calls.

And then she'd got the job at South Bay. She'd fashioned herself into a somewhat responsible, somewhat together twenty-something and she'd been damn good at her job. So, now she was the bad guy for a totally different reason. Dealing with broken families, damaged relationships and hopeless individuals, she'd helped make tough decisions that weren't always received warmly.

And then the question that had gnawed away at her insides for most of her life had been answered. In a way that she still couldn't fully comprehend. She was the child of 'angels' and was part of the ultimate force for good. Yet, her birth had been kept a secret and she'd been set aside for someone else to look after. She'd been the bad guy, even as a baby. The forbidden, unmentionable secret.

Luckily she'd had the best parents on the planet.

And now, even when she'd found the answer to the biggest question of her life, she was still the bad guy. After the initial shock and, she had to admit, horror, at being told she was a witch, she'd learned to embrace it. And she was good at it, despite the setbacks along the way. And the sister thing? How often had she wished for sisters, especially those lonely couple of years after her world had fallen out from under her?

But, it wasn't working out the way she'd hoped. She'd been the only one suspicious of Cole, the only one who had been able to see the changes, the manipulations, the _evil_ taking hold of him. It was hard being a sister, harder than she'd thought possible, after being on her own so long. But, it had been made even harder every time she'd seen the disappointment, the distrust on Piper and Phoebe's faces. Especially Piper's, who'd seen every mistake, every accusation against Cole as a reason not to accept her. As if she was looking for reasons to keep her on the outside.

Paige shrugged to herself and stirred her tea aimlessly. It had been a mistake to move in together so soon. Three previously unrelated lives couldn't suddenly fit together just because of blood and magic.

She should move out. She did much better on her own anyway.

She almost smiled at the lie.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**** Thanks for taking the time to read. Have a bit of writer's block for my other story, so this has been a pleasant distraction. Might look for some other scenes between the sisters I could extend/rearrange for my own amusement :)**

**Stay - Part 2**

She couldn't take it anymore.

Phoebe pushed the covers back and swung her legs around to rest on the floor. She grabbed a robe and slid her arms into it as she moved towards the door and out into the hallway. Maybe some tea would help.

As she made her way down the stairs, Phoebe noticed a light coming from the kitchen.

Someone else was up.

Phoebe cautiously descended the last few steps and peered around the corner. Her heart clenched as she saw Paige sitting at the kitchen bench, gazing into a cup, her chin in her hand.

Two choices.

One. Turn around and run back upstairs with her tail between her legs and let a possibly shaky relationship develop a gaping rift.

Two. Grow a spine, walk into the kitchen, face the music and be the older sister she desperately wanted to be.

Easy decision, really.

Phoebe straightened her shoulders and rounded the corner. She approached the kitchen, knowing Paige would welcome her even if she wanted to be alone. Sure enough, when Paige looked up, she smiled softly and raised her eyebrows.

"Couldn't sleep?" she enquired, sliding an empty mug over the bench toward Phoebe. She made to get up, but Phoebe held up a hand.

"It's ok, I've got it," she said, walking over to the kettle and flipping the switch. "And no, I couldn't sleep. You?"

Paige shrugged slightly.

"There's a lot going on right now. It's hard to process it all in the daylight hours." She didn't look at Phoebe.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Phoebe asked, moving over to stand beside Paige. Her younger sister looked up at her with a half smile.

"Nah. It's the kind of bomb best dropped in the daytime."

Alarm bells went off in Phoebe's head and she grabbed a stool, setting it beside Paige's.

"OK. That's the kind of cryptic comment that concerns me. The Paige I know doesn't really do cryptic. Spill it, sister." The last bit came out jokingly, but to her dismay, Paige's face fell. "Paige, what is it? I know things haven't been great lately, but you can still talk to me about anything."

There was a long pause.

"Paige?"

"I think I should move out."

Phoebe was stunned into silence momentarily.

"Wh-What?"

Paige sat up straighter and turned toward Phoebe.

"I don't think this is working. I think I should find another place to live."

Phoebe shook her head, trying to form words. This was the last thing she had expected.

"Why? What isn't working? You can't mean that!"

Paige stared at her.

"Surely you know by now that I don't say things I don't mean. Even when it gets me in trouble." She shook her head and bit her lip. "Sometimes I think I should have just kept my big mouth shut. About everything."

Phoebe's mouth gaped open incredulously.

"Paige, if you'd kept your mouth shut, the Source would still be alive and I'd still be Queen of the Underworld! You saved me and you saved Cole. I know it didn't seem like it at the time, but I am _grateful!_" She leaned closer, as if trying to make Paige_ feel_ the sincerity in her words. "And I can never tell you how sorry I am that I didn't believe you and how I wish I could take it all back. But, I can't." She sighed and stared at the curtain of dark hair that hid her sister's face. "All I can do is try to show you how much I care about you and try to earn your trust again." She paused. "Will you let me, Paige?"

It seemed an eternity before Paige lifted her head and met Phoebe's gaze.

"I trust you, Phoebe," she said, quietly. She hesitated, as if wanting to say more, then closed her mouth.

_She really is a closed book_, Phoebe thought. She reached over and grabbed Paige's hand.

"Paige, you're part of this family. You get that, don't you? It's ok to say that I...we...hurt you. You're our sister and you should never feel like you can't be honest with us." She ducked her head to look at Paige's face.

The answer, when it came, was barely audible.

"It hurt. Nobody believed me. Nobody _trusted _me. I was worthless. I might as well have been invisible."

The tears that came to Phoebe's eyes were part guilt, part relief. She moved closer and put an arm around her sister, using her other hand to tuck the dark curtain of hair behind an ear. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Paige's temple.

"Thank you for trusting me with that," she replied. "I know we didn't believe what was staring us in the face, but it's not that we didn't trust you. Underestimated, yes. Dismissed, yes. But, we trust you, Paige. Because you've shown us in a thousand ways that we can." Her heart lightened when she felt Paige lean into the embrace. They stayed that way for a minute until Paige pulled away and stood up slowly.

"I'm just going to head into the living room for awhile. I'll see you in the morning." She smiled briefly, before leaving the room.

Phoebe's eyes followed her until she was out of sight. What she and Piper had done cut deeper than either of them had guessed. And Paige had done a pretty good job at keeping things close to her chest. She was a little like Prue that way. Phoebe wondered just how much they didn't know about their little sister. Hopefully, tonight was just the start of repairing what had been broken. She could only hope that she and Piper could convince Paige not to leave them.

She sighed heavily and stood up, picking up her mug and walking over to the kettle.

"Is there enough water for two?" A voice enquired from behind her.

Phoebe jumped slightly and turned to see Piper standing in the doorway.

"Hey. Looks like this is the night for insomniacs."

Piper laughed mirthlessly and entered the kitchen, flopping onto the stool Paige had vacated.

"Tell me about it. I've been tossing and turning for ages."

Phoebe waved a hand.

"Paige is up too. She just left."

Piper raised her eyebrows in surprise, looking behind her as if expecting Paige to materialise.

"I didn't see her on the stairs."

Phoebe smiled sadly.

"She's in the living room."

Piper looked at her silently for a moment. Something didn't feel right.

"Phoebe, what's going on?"

Phoebe grimaced and rubbed her forehead, staring back at Piper.

"Piper, I don't know if you want to hear this, but we hurt her. Paige is in the living room right now, hurting, and we're the reason."

Piper frowned and opened her mouth.

"We..."

"She wants to move out! She thinks she's worthless. She actually said that," Phoebe blurted out.

Piper held Phoebe's gaze for a long minute, then turned to stare out the darkened window to the night outside.

"Crap," she whispered.

"I don't know, Piper. I tried to talk her out of it, tried to make it up to her, but...I don't know if it's enough." Phoebe took a deep breath. "It has to come from both of us. She needs to hear..."

"I know, Phoebe," Piper replied, nodding. It was then Phoebe saw the tears in her oldest sister's eyes. "I know." She slipped off the stool. "Living room, you said?"

Phoebe nodded silently, hopefully. It had felt like an age since she had told Piper not to start with love, but with thanks after she had almost turned into a Fury. Since then, it had felt like a very long journey for Piper to warm towards Paige. But, maybe now…

"Then that's where I'll be," Piper said simply and turned and left the kitchen. She walked slowly toward the living room, trying to buy herself a little more time to think of what she could possibly say to make Paige change her mind. Would Paige even want to hear anything she had to say?

The room lay in semi darkness. Piper stood for a moment to give her eyes time to adjust.

"Phoebe send you in here?"

Piper turned to the couch and made out the outline of her youngest sister.

"She told me where you were. I sent myself."

Paige didn't reply, so Piper walked over and sat on the other end of the couch. The silence was tense. In fact, since they'd met, most situations involving the two of them had carried an element of tension, of awkwardness. All her experience as an older sister hadn't prepared Piper for something like this. How did you apologise for hurting someone in such a way, almost deliberately? And, though Phoebe had obviously assumed a share of the responsibility, Piper knew most of it was on her.

The love was there. She knew that now. She wouldn't feel this guilt, this sadness, this desire to make things _right_, if there was no love. And having spent almost every day of the past year with this girl, Piper sensed the time had finally arrived. To accept that while Prue was gone, Paige was here. Not as a replacement, not to force anybody to forget, just here.

And Paige needed her.

And, finally, that was ok with Piper.

"Phoebe told me what you said," Piper began quietly. She waited for a reaction, wishing she could see Paige's eyes.

"Oh." The younger girl's voice was flat and emotionless.

"We don't want you to go."

Paige didn't respond. Piper knew she couldn't continue the conversation like this, so she reached over and turned on a table lamp. In the soft light, she saw her sister's tired eyes cast downwards and knew it had nothing to do with the lateness of the hour. She looked _so tired_.

"Paige, I'm sorry." It came out as a whisper. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you for so long about Cole. I'm sorry I made you feel...like you weren't part of this family, when you have clearly done more for it than I have lately."

Paige raised her eyes in surprise to look at Piper.

"Is that what you really think?"

Piper smiled crookedly.

"Well, let's weigh the evidence." She sat back and contemplated. "Phoebe chose evil and I went out and got drunk, while you tried to save innocents. You kept trying to tell us what we were too blind to see." She gestured helplessly. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here, Paige. You held us together when I couldn't." She locked eyes with Paige. "And you look pretty tired. Prue sometimes looked like that, especially when things around here got a little crazy."

Paige frowned and turned her head away, but not before Piper saw her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I am tired, Piper," Paige replied. "I've been the bad guy my whole life and I'm tired. I was the bad guy to my parents, all _four _of them, I was the bad guy to Phoebe and Cole, to you...I _am_ tired."

Piper's eyebrows knitted together. Paige was right. Piper had seen her as the bad guy after Prue died. But, that was because Paige, undeservingly, had been the only one available to be angry at. Grams and Mom were on the Other Side. Prue had just joined them. And this girl had shown up. A girl who hadn't asked for any of it, but had handled it so...amazingly.

She was amazing.

"Why are you still here?" Piper asked, without thinking how it would sound.

Paige stared at her, open-mouthed. She hadn't expected Piper to be quite so blunt about it. She laughed bitterly.

"Believe me, I'll be out as soon..."

"No," Piper cut in, shifting to face Paige. "No. That's not what I meant. I meant..." She gathered herself. "Why did you stay when things were so... when we were so..." Her voice trailed off.

Paige's face softened. She could see what Piper was trying to do, in a fumbling, disjointed kind of way. She was trying to apologise for everything all at once. And it made Paige feel warm inside. She had only seen Piper behave in this tender way toward Phoebe, but not to her.

Never to her.

She wondered what had affected this change. Had Phoebe talked to her, made her come in here and apologise? Or had it been the result of some internal struggle? Piper had even just compared her to Prue and there had been no bitterness, no accusation in her face. It had just been an observation. Almost like a compliment...

So, she decided to be honest, just like Phoebe said she should, and hope for the best.

"Because you're all I have."

Piper frowned.

"You and Phoebe," Paige continued. "It's you or it's no-one. And, despite everything, I'd rather have you than no-one. I've done no-one, done it for a long time. And I thought you needed me. Even if you didn't want me, you needed me." She smiled sadly and shrugged almost bashfully.

Piper smiled back and nodded slowly. But, her smile soon faded.

"I wish I could things differently," she admitted. "Would you let me try, Paige?"

It was almost a mirror of Phoebe's question. Both of her sisters, coming to her, asking for forgiveness. Asking for another chance. _Wanting_ another chance. The tiny seed of hope grew inside her. After a long moment, Paige nodded, almost imperceptibly.

"Could you..." She stopped. She was embarrassed to ask.

Afraid to ask.

Piper tipped her head slightly to the side and waited for Paige to finish.

"Could I...what?" she prompted.

Paige looked down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap.

"Could you love me? Maybe one day?" she whispered.

Piper squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, her heart breaking at the plea. She moved over and put her arm around Paige, pushing her hair to the side in almost the same way Phoebe had just a short time ago. But, she didn't stop there. She pulled Paige toward her. Paige went willingly.

"I love you already, Paige. How could I not? You were worth it. You _are _worth it."

She felt Paige melt into her.

And tightened her embrace.

"Just stay with us, ok? Stay."


End file.
